LITMIR.BIZ

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other man laughed, but she couldn’t hear his response. Emma heard the sound of the barn’s back door opening and the conversation receding as the men stepped outside. She didn’t budge. She hadn’t heard the sound of the closing door. Heart thumping hard, she lay as still as she could. After several moments of silence, she thought it might be safe to leave. Relief that she hadn’t been caught overwhelmed her, making her feel giddy. Or was the swimming sensation she felt from lack of food? She hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning when she’d finished the last of the granola bars she’d bought in a convenience store.

      She sat up, then abruptly sneezed as a piece of straw tickled her nose. She stilled, listening for the noise of someone approaching. When all remained quiet, she started to stand, then froze as she sensed someone’s presence. She glanced toward the door and saw with mounting horror an Amish man staring at her over the half door of the stall. The man wore a black-banded straw hat, royal blue long-sleeved shirt and navy pants held up by dark suspenders. He had light brown hair and brown eyes. Their gazes locked. The frown on his face eased into amusement as he took in her appearance.

      Shame made her hug herself with her arms. She scrambled to her feet, aware of her ragged jeans and the faded green T-shirt under her jacket. When his eyes shifted upward as if seeing something in her hair, Emma instinctively reached up, felt straw and blushed as she pulled it off. When his gaze met hers again, she stared back at him, refusing to be intimidated. She wasn’t afraid that he would hurt her. Her only fear was that he’d call the police and she’d be sent back to her foster family, the Turners.

      “Did you have a nice sleep?” His deep, pleasant voice rumbled along her spine.

      Daniel, she realized, and wondered why it had been easy to recognize his voice. “Yes.”

      He eyed her narrowly, all signs of his amusement gone. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

      “I came to visit someone who lives here.”

      The handsome man arched an eyebrow. “Who?”

      “Leah,” she said. She saw a brief flicker of recognition in his gaze.

      “Leah Mast?”

      Emma bobbed her head. “She told me I could come back to see her.” She bit her lip. “So here I am.” She eased across the stall a few steps toward the door, but since he was blocking her escape, there was no place for her to go.

      “There is no Leah Mast here.”

      His tone made her tense. “I don’t know her last name, but she has blond hair and blue eyes. A pretty girl.”

      “You know Leah.” He sounded doubtful, but the look in his eyes changed after she’d described her.

      “Yes. We met last year.” She studied him carefully. He was an attractive man, a fact she couldn’t help noticing. “Are you her brother?”

      “Nay.” He tilted his head. “Come out of there.”

      Fear washed over her as she shook her head vigorously. He looked nice, but since moving in with the Turners, she’d learned that looks could be deceiving.

      He frowned. “You believe I’d cause you harm?”

      “No,” she breathed, and she believed it, but she couldn’t be too careful. “I just need to see Leah. Can you get her for me?”

      “Leah no longer lives here,” Daniel said.

      All her hopes quickly disappeared. Feeling faint, Emma closed her eyes briefly and swayed. Her stomach hurt, and she felt dizzy. “Then I’ll go,” she said.

      He watched her carefully. “I can take you to her, if you like.” His smile appeared, but it was gone so fast that she wondered if it had been genuine. “She married and moved into Henry’s house. She’s Leah Yoder now.”

      She eyed him with misgiving. Dare she trust him? “Where is she?”

      “Not far. Leah and Henry run Yoder’s Country Crafts and General Store.” Daniel opened the door, and Emma backed into the other corner, hugging herself tighter. Concern entered his expression. “I won’t hurt you.”

      “I know.”

      “Then stop backing away from me.”

      She didn’t know what to say. Logic told her that he wouldn’t hurt her. He was Amish and religious, right? Then she recalled attending church with Bryce Turner and his family, and she knew people pretended to be Christian when they weren’t.

      Daniel Lapp studied the bedraggled girl in front of him with compassion. The fact that she described his cousin accurately eased some of the concern at finding her in the barn, but not all of it. Leah had lived here with her parents and sisters until each sister had wed and moved away, leaving their parents with a house that was too big for them. After his cousin Ellie married Reuben, the couple had switched houses with his aunt and uncle, her parents, Reuben’s smaller house a better fit for the older couple. The trade had worked well since Ellie and Reuben had a son and needed the larger space to expand their family.

      Reuben had asked him to come. His cousin’s husband had been thinking of adding on to their great room. Daniel thought the expense of a renovation unnecessary, and he hoped that Reuben now agreed with him.

      The girl’s clothes were torn in several places. He saw a rip near the pocket of her jacket and one across one knee of her jeans. She still had straw in her hair and a dirt smudge across her right cheek. What was her name? How old was she? He scowled at his interest. Did it matter?

      “I’m Daniel Lapp,” he said, opening the door and stepping inside the stall. “Leah’s cousin.”

      Surprise flickered in the girl’s brown eyes, but she didn’t move. “You’re her cousin?”

      Daniel inclined his head. “And you are?”

      “Jessica Morgan.” She bit her lip. “Jess.”

      “Well, Jess Morgan, if you come with me, I’ll take you to Leah.”

      She didn’t move, and he realized that she was afraid to trust him. Something shifted inside his chest. What happened in her young life to make her afraid? Why was she here in his cousin Ellie’s barn? Was she a runaway? Was her family half out of their mind with worry over her?

      He softened his expression. “If someone vouches for me, will you let me give you a ride to see her? Leah’s sister Ellie lives here now with her husband.”

      “You don’t live here?” she asked warily.

      “Nay.” Daniel headed toward the back door. “Reuben!” he called. “Would you get Ellie for me?”

      Reuben entered from outside. “Why? Is something wrong?”

      “There’s someone I’d like her to meet.” Daniel sent him a silent message with his gaze.

      “Ja, I’ll get her for you.” Curiosity glimmered in Reuben’s gaze, but he didn’t approach. Moments later, Ellie entered the structure, followed by her husband and her sister Charlie.

      “What’s wrong, Daniel? Reuben said you wanted to see me.”

      Daniel waved inside the stall. “I’d like you to meet someone and to tell her that I am who I say I am.”

      Frowning, Ellie approached with Charlie following until the sisters could see inside. Ellie saw the girl in the corner who hugged herself with her arms. His cousin met Daniel’s gaze with raised eyebrows. “Who is she?”

      “She says she knows Leah. Said they met last year.”

      Charlie stared at her. “Jessica?”

      The girl jerked and looked stunned. “How do you know my name?”

      Charlie

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